Three Gaza Rockets Launched at Israel, Israeli Army Says

Three rockets were launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening and all three were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, the Israeli military said. 

Earlier Saturday, rocket alerts sounded in the southern Israeli city of Sderot and in other communities situated close to Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. Locals reported hearing blasts.

The Israeli military said that it was looking into the circumstances, as locals reported hearing blasts.

Kahol Lavan Chairman Benny Gantz said in response, "We received this evening another three reminders from Gaza that Israeli citizens as a whole and the residents of the south in particular expect us to be concerned with their security. Not with political spins and gossip. We will change the security reality in the south – we will bring back the deterrence that Netanyahu erased."

A forum for the local councils of the Gaza border communities and the city of Sderot released a statement decrying "the substandard deterrence and failing policy of managing the security situation in the Gaza border communities."

"We will continue to work and struggle for the rights of all of the residents of the border communities to a normal life and basic security," the statement said. "Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens' lives are in danger for decades now and politicians are busy playing musical chairs instead of focusing on the urgent issue of the safety of the residents of Israel."

Israeli fighter jets were dispatched to the northern Strip at least twice since Saturday morning, following intelligence of suspicious activity near the border.